SpaceX Falcon rocket explodes on landing after delivering satellite to space • Hacker News Board

Re: SpaceX Falcon rocket explodes on landing after delivering satellite to space

#131

Post by codecamper » Mon, Jan 18, 2016, 9:05 PM UTC

This is the second time something like this happened. Why not put 4 tall posts up - equidistant from each other - a square.

Then a wire net between the posts.

When it tips over, it can just fall into the wire net.... they could even have motors to unwind a little while it leans over on them to allow "soft catching" the rocket. Foam over the wires would help here.

Actually... why not skip the barge & the dramatic landing and just catch it with a big underwater net? I suppose getting the rocket wet with salt water is not good? (the inside is covered with liquid spill indicators which void the warranty?)

Re: SpaceX Falcon rocket explodes on landing after delivering satellite to space

#132

Post by Grue3 » Mon, Jan 18, 2016, 9:06 PM UTC

mikeash wrote: post #111

Grue3 wrote: post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>Nobody else does this. I have absolutely no idea what you could possibly be referring to. Believe it or not, we've been landing spacecraft for decades. Does "space shuttle" ring a bell?

OK, that's one orbital rocket that's recovered on land. You said "everybody else" which implies at least several, so what other examples are there? (Hint: none.)

Buran. It only flew once, but it did work!

Apollo Lunar Module, if Moon counts.

Re: SpaceX Falcon rocket explodes on landing after delivering satellite to space

#133

Post by myth_buster » Mon, Jan 18, 2016, 9:08 PM UTC

smegel wrote: post #104

> explodes on landing This is a pretty unfair characterization. It actually made the landing for most purposes, then a specific failure occurred - a leg failed to lock and it fell over. And yes, when a rocket falls over it will often explode.

As someone mentioned on Reddit

  Succeeded to land. Failed to stand.

Re: SpaceX Falcon rocket explodes on landing after delivering satellite to space

#134

Post by mikeash » Mon, Jan 18, 2016, 9:11 PM UTC

Grue3 wrote: post #132

mikeash wrote: post #111

Earlier quoted context omitted.

OK, that's one orbital rocket that's recovered on land. You said "everybody else" which implies at least several, so what other examples are there? (Hint: none.)

Buran. It only flew once, but it did work! Apollo Lunar Module, if Moon counts.

Buran, fair.

Lunar module doesn't count, the reduced gravity makes everything a hundred times simpler.

Re: SpaceX Falcon rocket explodes on landing after delivering satellite to space

#135

Post by cma » Mon, Jan 18, 2016, 9:13 PM UTC

Dylan16807 wrote: post #119

charleypyn wrote: post #109

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not an unfair headline. It did explode when it landed. This is not good, no way how you twist it.

It did not explode when it landed. It exploded after it landed. This is an important distinction, because the latter is a thousand times harder to accomplish.

Let's say they permanently remove one leg and it now always tips over on landing and has no stable landing configuration. Could they bill that as a self-landing rocket?

Re: SpaceX Falcon rocket explodes on landing after delivering satellite to space

#136

Post by grey-area » Mon, Jan 18, 2016, 9:14 PM UTC

baq wrote: post #117

mikeash wrote: post #108

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Explodes after landing" would be more accurate, I think.

and the "explosion" is borderline, it's very close to just "burns really fast", especially when you see what's left after the fire goes out: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CY8-PdyU0AABqaa.jpg:large (there's quite a lot of rocket left)

That's a trick of perspective and scale, you are not seeing a rocket but one landing leg intact attached to the engine block. The tube exploded as you'd expect when it fell over and disintegrated.

Not really important though, they got the hard part right.

Re: SpaceX Falcon rocket explodes on landing after delivering satellite to space

#137

Post by trhway » Mon, Jan 18, 2016, 9:15 PM UTC

they just need airbags installed on the barge so the moment rocket lands the airbags inflate and hug the rocket.

Re: SpaceX Falcon rocket explodes on landing after delivering satellite to space

#138

Post by anarazel » Mon, Jan 18, 2016, 9:15 PM UTC

benjaminl wrote: post #103

Grue3 wrote: post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>Nobody else does this. I have absolutely no idea what you could possibly be referring to. Believe it or not, we've been landing spacecraft for decades. Does "space shuttle" ring a bell?

The Space Shuttle was a space craft, not a rocket. The SpaceX equivalent to the Space Shuttle is the Dragon spacecraft. Dragon V2 does land exclusively on the ground.

In addition to all that (spacecraft, srbrs, atmosphere), a space shuttle launch literally cost more than a billion.

Re: SpaceX Falcon rocket explodes on landing after delivering satellite to space

#139

Post by sebringj » Mon, Jan 18, 2016, 9:17 PM UTC

They keep getting better so quickly! I'm in no way qualified to say this but I would have to guess the tip over after landing is a very trivial problem to overcome compared to atmospheric entry with 180 degree flip and burn to slow for landing. Go SpaceX!

Re: SpaceX Falcon rocket explodes on landing after delivering satellite to space

#140

Post by Romanulus » Mon, Jan 18, 2016, 9:28 PM UTC

baq wrote: post #117

mikeash wrote: post #108

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Explodes after landing" would be more accurate, I think.

and the "explosion" is borderline, it's very close to just "burns really fast", especially when you see what's left after the fire goes out: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CY8-PdyU0AABqaa.jpg:large (there's quite a lot of rocket left)

Suboptimal occurrence after a near-perfect landing forces SpaceX to reconsider strategies for next launch.